Flame Rising
by fallonfur
Summary: A young Twoleg named Fallon is turned into a cat by one of the last survivors of LeafClan, and learns to live as a Clan cat as Flamepaw after being discovered by Rainwhisker.
1. Encounters

This is a story about a girl. She was not different from you or I, but  
something amazing would happen to her.

The mouse was not far. Springing onto the hunter's crouch, she quickly  
sprung on the mouse and killed it with a fierce bite. Before she could  
eat the prey, though, a noise woke her up.  
"Fallon! It's Easter! Rejoice , O great one" yelled her obnoxious  
older brother. He exploded in a fit of laughter as he bounded down the  
stairs with a mocking grin on his face.  
She groaned. She just had a great dream, and_- Wait. A great dream?__  
__Why the hell would I kill and actually eat a mouse?_ She stopped by her  
pet mouse's cage and  
silently cursed herself as she licked her lips . _I'm turning into a_  
_predatory bird, _she picked herself up and moped down the  
stairs. Her mother was waiting,  
cooking pancakes on Dad's griddle. She licked her lips once again,  
grateful that she  
could enjoy human food. The pancakes looked delicious, and tasted  
great too. After  
breakfast and some holiday candy, she decided to take a walk in the woods.  
She enjoyed the scenery, and the gentle breeze of early  
chills ruffled her  
short hair and for a moment she felt as if snowfall would dawn over  
her, but it did not.  
Suddenly, a bud-covered bush shifted, and a thorn-covered elderly  
she-cat came into  
her sight. her muzzle was white with age, and she was panting heavily.  
"You are ... the one," she said, gasping for breath. Fallon  
shuddered at her message, and soon realized that this old cat was  
speaking to her- she could understand her talk! " You will fulfill  
your destiny as a true warrior, and guide the Clans from sudden  
death..." she rasped, her voice gradually trailing away.  
"Do not be alarmed, young one. StarClan will guide you..."

And with these words, the elderly cat heaved a final breath and fainted, dead.  
The girl's eyes widened , glazed with fear. She slowly backed, her  
four legs buckling in fright..._Wait. I have four legs . This cannot_  
_be happening_! She ran and ran, away from her family, home, the dead  
cat, the garden. She ran and ran forever, confused-  
at least until she crash-landed into a handsome gray - Oh! I'm  
in for it now! He definitely could shred me in a moment, she thought.

The cat hissed and stood back, his fur bristling. "Intruder!" he bellowed.  
"N-no," Fallon stammered. "I'm not here to cause trouble, please let  
me go safely."  
She was very frightened, but relaxed when she saw his fur lie flat.  
"But tell me why you are here", he said cooly"Well, I..." she  
stuttered, "I am lost. I... am trying to find some  
shelter." She wasn't exactly telling the truth, but she wasn't really  
lying, either.  
" A lost kittypet?" he asked, curious about the harmless stranger.  
"Um", she started ,  
"what exactly is a kittypet?" The tom purred with laughter. " A  
fluffy, fat cat that aTwoleg owns". She understood that he ment a  
housecat, and guessed that Twolegs were humans.

"What is your name?" he blurted out . She decided to tell him her real name.  
"Fallon", she said reluctantly. He shifted and said, hesitating, "  
Well, spill it. Are you a  
loner or a kittypet?" She knew she wasn't a kittypet, but she had to be careful.


	2. A New Friend!

She knew she wasn't a kittypet, but she certainly had to be careful.  
"I'm a loner," she mewed. " Well, I don't remember much of what  
happened, but I just stumbled over here..."  
she said, hoping the gray tom could find her someplace to stay.

"I'm Rainwhisker ," he meowed. " I could find you a place to stay. Can  
you hunt?"  
She definitely did not know." No," she answered plainly, but with  
pleading in her eyes.

Rainwhisker was clearly a friend now, so she decided that she should  
trust the helpful cat.  
"I'd better show you how," he meowed, and quickly crouched, ears pricked.  
Fallon copied his movement."You're a natural," he praised. She heard a  
noise, and sprang forward, catching a unsuspecting vole.

"You sure you don't know?" he asked. She replied-" It came to me."  
He walked away, and she followed.  
The forest was greener and prettier  
when she was a cat, seeming  
larger and more mysterious. He took her to a little spot near a bush,  
and found some moss. " See," he said, " I would take you to my Clan to  
stay," he started hesitating,  
" but one of our elders, Dappletail, fell ill and passed to StarClan last night.

StarClan? That was the word that odd old cat used...  
She decided not to tell Rainwhisker, as friendly as he was, about how  
she wasn't a cat  
only a few moments ago.

"Hello?" he said, her mind clearing. "Still there?" "Oops,"  
she replied clumsily.  
"What is...is StarClan?" she asked, curious to discover the meaning  
behind all of this.

"StarClan are the warrior ancestors of us, ones who died bravely. They  
are always watching over us.

Like Heaven, thought Fallon . "So," she meowed," What is your Clan? I  
don't really understand.

" Our Clan is a community of cats. There are four Clans of cats in the  
forest, and a fifth in the mountains. We live together, sharing prey  
and responsibilities. There is a Clan leader- ours is Firestar- and  
deputy, Graystripe. There are the queens and their kits, who live in  
the nursery, and apprentices, and the older cats who  
cannot care for themselves anymore.

Information spun in her head and confused her for a moment.  
" And right at sunhigh , we share tongues- that means we groom each other's fur.  
"So, you... live together? Is it nice living like that, working for  
food? I mean, the wind in your fur, the prey-scent, is it worth it?"

He looked forward at nothing , pride in his stare. "Yes," he replied


	3. Lessons

"Yes," he replied. She looked up. What would it be like to join this  
Clan? Would it be worth it? She remembered the old cat's omen and  
realized she mentioned Clans.

Was this her destiny? She looked up at Rainwhisker.

" Rainwhisker," she started , "What if I joined your Clan?" He was  
surprised. "Our Clan leader was once a would probably not  
let you down, but leaf-bare is coming , and the Twolegs are  
destroying the land . Perhaps you can stay here and I can give you  
lessons on how to survive the wilderness in secret. Then you might be  
able to join us," he said . She gleamed. Maybe this was her destiny.

"Cool!" she blurted out.

Rainwhisker gave her a strange look.

"Um, I mean, that's great."

He straightened up and stopped for a moment , sniffing the air. He quickly

Caught a mouse and shoved it toward her. She blinked for a moment, looking

down at the dead prey . _Ewwwww, do I eat this?_ She thought.

She sniffed it and her mouth give this a try, she thought.

She took a bite and immediately stood up.

"This is the BEST thing I've ever tasted!" she said.

He seemed amused.

She gulped the rest down greedily and thanked Rainwhisker.

She looked into the bush and peered in. There was a little view of a river gleaming

In the distance.

Fallon found some moss in the bush and built a nest out of it.

"First of all, I want to teach you the hunter's crouch…."

And that is how the lesson was.

The whole time, Fallon caught herself staring at Rainwhisker.

_A real, live forest cat…._

The daily lessons were packed with information on hunting, fighting, defence, Clan life,

and occasionally he tooke her to parts of their Clan's territory.

But he never told any cat . He also prevented his Clanmates from going near where Fallon sheltered.

Every day they grew closer, and Fallon truly thought she might be able to stay with ThunderClan.

Most of all, she was dying to meet the leader Rainwhisker talked so fondly about- Firestar.


	4. ThunderClan's Newest Apprentice

One of the worst things Fallon went through was the journey to the new territory.

Rainwhisker guided her secretly at night, but she made it through with his help.

After waiting a little under half a moon, Rainwhisker decided that it was time.

He guided her to the camp.

"Don't be afraid- these cats are loving once you get to know them. They might be hostile at

first, but that's because they don't know you like I do.", he meowed sympathetically, sensing her fear.

Fallon wished she could feel the same. When they walked into camp, she felt hot eyes stare into her fur

And tiny whispers of "Who is she?" echo about the camp. She stopped for a moment , tasting the air.

It smelled strong of cats and prey-scent. A handsome ginger tom walked out of a small stone dip,

near a long ledge. "That is Firestar," whispered Rainwhisker. Fallon stared at the Clan leader,

but showed absolutely no signs of dipped her head politely and said," Firestar,

much has been told of you from my friend the past moons, Rainwhisker

has been showing me the ways of Clan life, and I would like to join ThunderClan.

Eyes widened , and some cats were curious about the stranger. Some cats seemed pleased that they might have

A new Clanmate, some were just surprised, and some yowled protests. But the only cats who protested and

objected were the feisty kits who disliked strangers. The Clan leader considered it for a moment and she saw a gleam in

his eyes, and he stared at nothing for a moment and then said, " My friend, we would be pleased to have a new Clanmate,

but do I know if you can do it?" Rainwhisker stepped forward and told Firestar of how he mentored Fallon.

"Well," said the ginger Clan leader,"You look about the age of an apprentice.

Fallon couldn't believe what sheWas hearing- she was going to be part of the Clan!

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

He meowed . But most of the cats were already in the clearing, and the kits and elders who hadn't come when

Fallon arrived came out of their dens. "What is your name?" he asked." My name is Fallon," she replied.

"Fallon, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to become an this day until you are a warrior,

you will be known as Flamepaw." She looked at her own pelt. It was silvery-blue-gray, with flamelike stripes.

Your mentor will be Rainwhisker. I hope he passes all of his knowledge to you. They touched their noses.

"Flamepaw! Flamepaw!" cried the crowd of cats, who were all clearly excited to have a new Clanmate.

" From now on, you will sleep in the apprentice's den. Flamepaw's eyes gleamed with pride. She had a great start in her

life with ThunderClan.

_\_


	5. Love

First of all, there is a slight warning – if

the subject of kitting is inappropriate to you,

you can skip to chapter 7 when it comes, but

there isn't any bad stuff in this, just that RainXFlame and

they disappear one night so let's leave it at that.

This is still K+

Life in ThunderClan was great- her lessons, her mentor, and her friends.

She was becoming great friends with Squirrelflight,Leafpool, and Sorreltail.

She was great at hunting, fighting, and she was polite to her Clanmates.

But there was one thing she was uncomfortable about- the rumors.

Everybody knew she was in love with Rainwhisker.

Well, not in_love,_but very, very close….

And Flamepaw denied it, though she knew that the rumors were mostly true.

They were always together.

Some people were surprised that an apprentice and her mentor would

Be together like that, but it was different.

After the hardships of being an apprentice, Flamepaw earned her warior name:

Flamefur.

And with the naming ceremony came shocking news:

Flamefur was going to be kitting.

Of course, it immediately sparked the gossip again.

-AUTHOR'S QUICK NOTE-

-Okay, I know that you're like wait wait wait…-

So I'll switch perspectives.

If that makes more sense….

( oh yeah, and this is back when Flamefur was an apprentice,

First moon .) -

Rainwhisker had been giving me lessons,

and they were every day. I'm not a bragger, but I'm pretty good at most of

the things he teaches me.

The whole Clan is happy to know me and to have me with them.

I'm not a medicine cat, but sometimes I even asked Leafpool

To tell me some stuff about her herbs and such so that I could help

heal other cats if there wasn't a medicine cat nearby.

But there is one person- I mean , cat-(I still need time getting used to cat terms)

who I am closest to- Rainwhisker.

I knew I was falling in love with him. I felt happy all over when I had lessons with him, and

I felt warm when we could go hunting together, just the two of us.

And the best part was, I thought that he liked me too!

We knew each other well, and I knew that we would make good mates.

But there was one problem.

He was my _mentor._ Wouldn't that be inappropriate?

Like a student going out with a teacher?

But I couldn't hold it! I would have to tell him.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE TIME!

My apprentice, Flamepaw, was always curious, but

listened to my instructions, despite her constant energy.

I suspect she's quite fond of me.

She always wants to go train or hunt, but often she

seems to want to go with me, and me alone.

When I say fond, I mean she might like me more than

I originally expected. But there's one thing-

I like her too! And I'm her mentor, I can't just go

up to her and say "I love you"

or something like that. I guess I could, but I don't know how

Firestar will feel about his warriors falling in love with apprentices.

But I couldn't hold it ! I would have to tell her.

muhaha, perspective channnnnnnnnnge!

One quiet sunset, Rainwhisker and Flamepaw were sharing tongues around their Clanmates,

talking about the recent Gathering.

Flamepaw saw Leafpool beckoning to her to come- the elders

were sharing a story about Firestar in his youth.

Mostly apprentices listened to these stories, but many warriors also enjoyed them.

"Sorry," Flamepaw meowed to Rainwhisker."Missing an elder's tale is unbearable."

Rainwhisker nodded . He remembered when he was an apprentice, listening

to the elder's tales. Brambleclaw padded over to him, and sat down,

following Rainwhiser's gaze.

"I knew it!" he meowed ."Knew what?" replied the gray warrior.

"Knew you liked Flamepaw!" Rainwhiskers eyes widened .

"Not so loud! I don't want Firestar to know that is warriors are falling in love

with their apprentices." Brambleclaw just chuckled.

Well, you should make your move.

"Really?" asked Rainwhisker doubtfully. Brambleclaw sighed.

"She's crazy for you. Just do it!"

Rainwhisker straightened."I'll tell her tomorrow."


	6. Truth

The morning after the talk was exciting and fearful for Rainwhisker.

He asked Flamepaw if she wanted to go hunting. She agreed happily.

On the way to their favorite hunting spot, Rainwhisker stopped and gave her a meaningful

gaze. " I need to be truthful with you, Flamepaw….. I love you."

She hardly waited to say " I love you too!" , springing up and almost crushing

Rainwhisker as she rubbed her pelt against his. She looked up at him with new

feeling . Of course, they hunted, and the story went along….

….."What ?" exclaimed Leafpool. "You're having kits with your own mentor?

This young? Silly apprentice." "Hey, you're an apprentice yourself! " she defended.

" Any way, how long until I am kitting?" she asked. " Hopefully after you're a warrior,"

the light brown-and-white medicine cat snorted. She padded out of the den, feeling cheery.

She remembered with a pang of guilt that she did not tell Rainwhisker the full truth…..

…..The two cats were walking together, hunting. "Rainwhisker," started the young she-cat.

"There is something I have to tell you." "Yes?" he replied warmly.

She hesitated, and then spoke. " I have a secret. Before I was with the Clan,

I was a ….. a Twoleg." he shuddered, and said,"How…." she stopped him and said, " Fallon

was my Twoleg elderly cat turned me into a cat, and then I bumped into you."

She looked very concerned. "Why didn't you tell me before?" he

asked, hurt. " I needed to make sure I could trust you . But don't worry, I do ."

The hurt in his eyes faded, and with a few soft licks to her ears, he said: "Do

not worry, I will always love you. Even if you were not always a cat."

They walked back to camp empty- handed, and Flamefur began to wonder if she ever

should have told her mate about the truth.


End file.
